Everything's economically rosy up here in Canuckistan we're being told day after day by the media and the government spin mongers. The loonie is flying high, the real estate bubble is fuller of hot air every month and the world's greediest invertors are rushing into our 'equity markets' like a herd of herefords. All seems to be YUM if you're a 'believer', YUCK if you're not.Canada's economy is thriving on dirty money. Canada exports its resources as fast as possible with not thought of tomorrow or of conservation over consumption, it's short term profits uber-alles. Out here on the southwest coast of BC the lumber industry stays in business by exporting raw logs to whoever will buy them. Gone are the sawmill and other value added jobs that once allowed folks to raise their families with dignity and pride. Actual unemployment is rampant, the only jobs are at Tim Horton's. Sure the government can spin the media into reporting job growth because a bread winner who loses a decent fulltime job ends getting 2 or 3 part time jobs at Tim's, Mickey D's or sweeping up around the mall. Instant job growth neo-con style.
But the real big dirty is the oil and gas export charade. Canada's governments will do anything to keep the oil billionaires rolling in dirty dough. The tarsands in Alberta are the worst polluters on the planet. Enviromentists around the world kick Canada's can daily for its shortsighted, blighted policies designed to keep the Amerikan machine gobbling up the world's collective future.
The three articles below do a much better job than i can of describing the problem and outlining possible solutions to Canada's addiction to short term greed and its bewildering blindness to the long term needs of its citizens, its economy and its enviroment. Wealth isn't money, health isn't either, just ask the ducks or the folks living downstream from the tarsands tailing ponds.
Money spent on tar sands projects could decarbonise western economies. - The £250bn cost of developing Canada's controversial tar sands between now and 2025 could be used to decarbonise the western economy by funding ambitious solar power schemes in the Sahara or a European wide shift to electric vehicles, according to a new report.
Greens Launch NAFTA Action on Canada Oil Sands - Environmental groups launched a complaint against Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement on Wednesday, saying the country has failed to enforce anti-pollution rules governing its vast oil sands.
Alberta's Tar Sands Make Canada a Climate Criminal - Canada's image lies in tatters. It is now to climate what Japan is to whaling.
